Spotlight Product Review: iCandy Cherry Stroller

iCandy is a luxury stroller company that recently brought their gorgeous strollers across the pond to the US. Even though iCandy is new to us, they are not new to the rest of the world! iCandy is a British company that was started in the early 1930s with the goal of making products that was specifically designed for the parent who needs something special, something different, something that catches the eye.

With a fun line of four unique stroller systems that are all named after fruit (Cherry, Apple, Pear & Peach), the iCandy strollers are sure to turn some heads here in the states as they start to stroll the streets.

The Cherry is the lightest stroller in the iCandy family. Weighing in at 20 lbs, we would put the Cherry into our lightweight-plus category.

The seat on the Cherry is average size. Not the biggest but certainly not the smallest either. Our 9 month and 3 year old testers fit perfectly. The seat is 12 ½” wide and has a 20” seat back and a measurement of 23” from seatback to canopy. Our 5 year old tester at 42” fit in the seat but her head did brush against the canopy. (Remember even though 5 year olds generally don’t ride in strollers, we use her to show the seat with a larger, taller child.) There is a padded 5-point, adjustable harness for safety and we love that the belly pad that protects the child from the buckle is sewn to the seat fabric so that it doesn’t fall off every time we take our child out. Fantastic! The seat also sports an adjustable footrest with 3 positions and a removable baby bumper bar.

Instead of just the back of the seat reclining like on other strollers, the entire seat on the Cherry reclines back into 3 positions. It is a two-handed recline that is done by pressing two small buttons on the inside of the seat with your thumbs. The seat keeps its wide “v” shape but does recline far enough back for us to consider it a flatter position. Even though we would put a newborn in the seat for short periods of time, because the seat isn’t completely flat, iCandy recommends using the seat for 6 months and up. They recommend using the car seat adapters or the bassinet (both sold separately) with a newborn. The seat has a weight capacity of 55 lbs but we think your child will probably be too tall for the seat before they ever approach that weight.

A nice feature that is not normally seen on a lightweight-plus stroller is a reversible seat. The seat on the Cherry reverses so that your child can face you or out at the world.

The Cherry sports a non-adjustable handlebar that is 39” from the ground. The handlebar is one continuous piece (instead of two handles) that makes for easier one-handed maneuverability since you can place one hand in the center of the handlebar for turning. Even though this is considered a “taller” handlebar than some strollers, we would definitely like to see iCandy make the handlebar telescope out farther to accommodate taller parents.

There is a decent sized canopy on the stroller that will sufficiently shade your child but it is missing a peek a boo window. We would like to see a pop-out sun visor added to the canopy for even more sun protection.

In terms of storage, there is a large basket underneath the seat (for a lighter-weight stroller) that will hold a large diaper bag or quite a few baby essentials. For additional storage, there is a small, flat pocket on the back of the seat for small parent essentials such as a set of keys or a cell phone.

The Cherry sports 7” front wheels and 8” rear wheels. The front wheels are swivel wheels that have the ability to lock straight for navigating a bit bumpier terrain. It is by no means an all-terrain stroller but we were able to push the stroller through grass and playground mulch fully loaded with a bit of muscle and the front tires locked. On smooth payment, the stroller is easy to navigate one-handed even with a larger child aboard.

Folding the Cherry isn’t hard but we are not crazy about having to remove the seat every time to fold it. Okay, we don’t like that feature at all! This is a not a great stroller for public transportation if you need to fold the stroller often. Once you remove the seat though, folding the chassis is very easy.

To accommodate a newborn, the Cherry turns into a travel system with the sold separately car seat adapters for the Maxi Cosi or the Graco Snugride. There is also a Cherry Bassinet sold separately to turn the Cherry chassis into a rolling bed or pram for your newborn. The bassinet is the most ideal way to transport your newborn since it keeps them in a completely flat position which is ideal for breathing and development. Other great accessories sold separately are the cup holder, foot muff, flavour packs, and parasol.

While we aren’t crazy about the two piece fold or the non-adjustable handle, the Cherry has some great features such as the large basket, reversible seat, and ability to become a travel system or a pram.

Baby Gizmo founder Hollie Schultz is the proud mom of three adorable kids. This certified CPS (Child Passenger Safety) Tech and baby gear expert is the host of the Baby Gizmo video reviews giving moms the inside look at baby products before they purchase them. Hollie is also the co-author of The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide. A former resident of Los Angeles, she and her family now live in North Carolina where she is having a blast designing and decorating her new home.